AIRS is the infrared spectroscopic instrument of ARIEL: Atmospheric Remote‐sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large‐survey mission adopted in November 2020 as the Cosmic Vision M4 ESA mission and planned to be launched in 2029 by an Ariane 6 from Kourou toward a large amplitude orbit around L2 for a 4-year mission. Within the scientific payload, AIRS will perform transit spectroscopy of over 1000 exoplanets to complete a statistical survey, including gas giants, Neptunes, super-Earths and Earth-size planets around a wide range of host stars. All these collected spectroscopic data will be a major asset to answer the key scientific questions addressed by this mission: what are exoplanets made of? How do planets and planetary systems form? How do planets and their atmospheres evolve over time? The AIRS instrument is based on two independent channels covering 1.95-3.90 µm (CH0) and 3.90-7.80 µm (CH1) wavelength ranges with prism-based dispersive elements producing spectra of low resolutions R>100 in CH0 and R>30 in CH1 on two independent detectors. The spectrometer is designed to provide a Nyquist-sampled spectrum in both spatial and spectral directions to limit the sensitivity of measurements to the jitter noise and intra pixels pattern during the long (10 hours) transit spectroscopy exposures. A full instrument overview will be presented covering the thermo-mechanical design of the instrument functioning in a 60 K environment, up to the detection and acquisition chain of both channels based on 2 HgCdTe detectors actively cooled to below 42 K. This overview will present updated information of phase C studies, in particular on the assembly and testing of prototypes that are highly representative of the future engineering model that will be used as an instrument-level qualification model.
We describe the IR focal plane filters of the MAJIS imaging spectrometer for the JUICE mission to the Jupiter System. The focal plane filters provided by Viavi Solutions are integrated into a filter holder placed above the IR channel focal plane array, enclosed in a baffle and cooled to cryogenic temperatures. The filters comprise two segments bonded together on a sapphire substrate: a broad-band, low-pass filter and a narrow-band linear variable filter (LVF) in the MWIR. We present the justification for using such filters, their architecture, the measurement facilities that were implemented for assessing their performances and the derived optical performances. The filters have been fully qualified and integrated into MAJIS and are within the performance specifications.
We describe the IR focal plane unit of the MAJIS imaging spectrometer for the JUICE mission to the Jupiter Sys tem. Optical light from the telescope and spectrometer is focalized on the IR Focal plane unit which compris es a Teledyne Imaging Sensors H1RG detector overlain by a Viavi Solutions filter assembly. Both components are baffled and work at cryogenic temperatures. We describe the IR focal plane architecture, the measurement facilities and the main performance-critical specifications. The IR channel of MAJIS offers strong versatility with the capability to acquire high resolution spectra from the Jupiter atmosphere to organic matter on icy moon surfaces, over a wide spectral and dynamical range.
The JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer) mission by ESA aims to explore the emergence of habitable worlds around gas giants and the Jupiter system as an archetype of gas giants. MAJIS (Moons and Jupiter Imaging Spectrometer) is the visible to near-infrared imaging spectrometer onboard JUICE which will characterize the surfaces and exospheres of the icy moons and perform monitoring of the Jupiter atmosphere. The launch is scheduled for 2023 with the first MAJIS observations inside the Jovian system occurring more than 8 years later. The MAJIS optical head is equipped with two Teledyne H1RG detectors, one for each of the two spectrometer channels (VIS-NIR and IR). This paper describes the characterization of the VIS-NIR Focal Plane Unit. These detectors will be operated in a non-standard way, allowing near/full-frame retrieval over short integration times (<< 1 sec) while maintaining good noise performance. After a quick description of the characterization strategy that was designed to evaluate the performances of the VIS-NIR detector according to the MAJIS operational specifications, the paper will address the data analyses and the main results of the characterization campaign. The major performance parameters such as dark current, linearity, noise, quantum efficiency, and operability will be presented and compared with the requirements.
AIRS is the infrared spectroscopic instrument of ARIEL: Atmospheric Remote‐sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large‐survey mission selected in March 2018 as the Cosmic Vision M4 ESA mission and planned to be launched in 2029 by an Ariane 6 from Kourou toward a large amplitude orbit around L2 for a 4 year mission. Within the scientific payload, AIRS will perform transit spectroscopy of over a 1000 of exoplanets to complete a statistical survey, including gas giants, Neptunes, super-Earths and Earth-size planets around a wide range of host stars. All these collected spectroscopic data will be a major asset to answer the key scientific questions addressed by this mission: what are the exoplanets made of? How do planets and planetary system form? How do planets and their atmospheres evolve over time? The AIRS instrument is based on two independent channels covering the CH0 [1.95-3.90] µm and the CH1 [3.90-7.80] µm wavelength range with prism-based dispersive elements producing spectrum of low resolutions R<100 in CH0 and R<30 in CH1 on two independent detectors. The spectrometer is designed to provide spectrum Nyquist-sampled in both spatial and spectral directions to limit the sensitivity of measurements to the jitter noise and intra pixels pattern during the long (10 hours) transit spectroscopy exposures. A full instrument overview will be presented covering the thermal mechanical design of the instrument functioning in a 60 K cold environment, up to the detection and acquisition chain of both channels based on 2 HgCdTe detectors actively cooled down below 42 K. This overview will present updated information of phase B2 studies in particular with the early manufacturing of prototype for key elements like the optics, focal-plane assembly and read-out electronics as well as the results of testing of the IR detectors up to 8.0 μm cut-off.
A 16 pixel heterodyne receiver for 2.5 THz has been developed based on NbN superconducting hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers. The receiver uses a quasioptical RF coupling approach where HEB mixers are integrated into double dipole antennas on 1.5μm thick Si3N4/SiO2 membranes. Spherical mirrors (one per pixel) and backshort distance from the antenna have been used to design the output mixer beam profile. The camera design allows all 16 pixel IF readout in parallel. The gain bandwidth of the HEB mixers on Si3N4/SiO2 membranes was found to be 0.7÷0.9 GHz, which is much smaller than for similar devices on silicon. Application of buffer layers and use of alternative types of membranes (e.g. silicon-on-insulator) is under investigation.
We present in this paper the front-end design and the results of RF simulations, carried out with Microwave Studio (CST) and HFSS for SHAHIRA (Submillimeter Heterodyne Array for High-speed Radio Astronomy), a 4x4 heterodyne array at 2.5 THz and 4.7 THz. One can then observe 16 spatial positions at 2 frequencies. The design has been chosen to be quasi-optic, because of its simplicity, novelty and multi-pixels applicability. Pixels are made of Niobium Nitride HEB mixers with double-slot antennas, processed on 1 μm thick stress-less Si3N4/SiO2 membrane. The use of the membrane shows numerous advantages: for instance the use of the mixers at higher RF frequencies, a better power coupling efficiency or a solution for avoiding dielectric modes, losses and reflections. This work is supported by ESA and is a collaboration between LERMA, CHALMERS and LAAS. The Camera is expected to find applications, for SOFIA or CIDRE.
Observation and analysis of submillimeter-wave radiation
(300GHz-3THz) in astronomy and atmospheric sciences requires
increasingly performant receivers. The most sensitive receivers
working in this range of electromagnetic spectrum use
superconductor-insolator-superconductor (SIS) junctions.
In order to increase the bandwidth and the sensitivity, we are
developing a quantum-noise limited heterodyne receiver
based on several parallel SIS junctions with broad
(larger than 30%) fixed tuned bandwidth. These circuits can be
viewed as passband filters which have been optimized by
varying the spacings between junctions.
We have designed such 5-junction arrays for operation in the
range 480-640 GHz. Fabrication and heterodyne characterization
of these devices has been done. The 1 μm2 junctions current density
ranges from 4 to 13 kA/cm2, using optical lithography and
Nb/Al2Nb5/Nb trilayer sputtering technology. The fabrication
process and yield are presented in this paper, along with
measured performances
We report on the status of the development of a 30% bandwidth tunerless SIS double-sideband mixer for the “Band 1” (480 GHz-630 GHz) channel of the heterodyne instrument (HIFI) of ESA’s Herschel Space Observatory, scheduled for launch in 2007. After exposing the main features of our mixer design, we present the performance achieved by the demonstration mixer, measured via Fourier Transform Spectroscopy and heterodyne Y factor calibrations. We infer from a preliminary mixer analysis that the mixer has very low, quantum-limited noise and low conversion loss. We also report on some pre-qualification tests, as we currently start to manufacture the qualification models and design the last iteration of masks for SIS junction production.
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